First, I came home from work today to find LOOT! Although I didn’t find this out until nearly 10pm, because the finks who live at my home and raid my fridge didn’t tell me I’d gotten a package until then.

So I opened it and it was CHOCOLATE LOOT! Thank you very, very much, Michelle. It definitely helped with the stressful and decidedly down time I’ve been having lately.

Michelle sent me candy from BonBon Bar homemade chocolates — all organic, all handmade, no high-fructose corn syrup. Tonight I’m nibbling on a Single Malt Scotch Ganache & Chewy Caramel topped with Maldon Sea Salt bar… mmmm. I also have vanilla and passion fruit marshmallows (I gave the fink who retrieved the package a marshmallow), a caramel nut bar, a malt bar, and a dark chocolate orange bar.

It is wonderful stuff, thank you so much. I’m hiding the rest. I might even take it with me to Anchorage next week for hotel room snacking.

I really appreciate the thoughtfulness, Michelle, it definitely helps lift my spirits.

Second, the flowers in the picture are from my sweet and eternally patient husband, who brings me flowers even when I’m the one who’s being crabby. They improved my day, too.

And third, I gave the second in a series of two financial analysis presentations today at work. In spite of having to deliver mixed news, the presentation went very well and was positively received. The analysis involved required a significant amount of additional work on personal time, and the presentations themselves were pretty stressful, so I’m very thankful to be done with them. It’s a big load off my shoulders.

And fourth, well, I have great friends. Online friends, face-to-face friends, work friends, family. I tend to take that for granted until I see them rally around to support me and others when things are tough. You all are great, and I’m very thankful.

Things are looking up. And there’s chocolate. Yeah, Michelle!

Go visit Jim’s blog. Read his wonderfully foamy post “Jerkoff of the week: Downey Savings and Loan“. This particular story is especially entertaining because it appears that a snarky troll, adding all sorts of vitriolic commentary, seems to have done so from an Internet address labeled “downeysavings.com” – perhaps an ill-advised employee?

If you happen to be in California and anywhere near a branch of the aforementioned savings and loan, you might want to drop by and mention this story to them. I’m sure they’re proud of themselves. [/sarcasm]

While you’re on Jim’s blog, stay and read some other stuff too – Jim’s a good writer AND has great photoshop skills, too.

You are probably tired of hearing me brag about my mom, Marilynn. Tough. She lives a pretty extraordinary life and I’m proud of that.

She returned home from her French riverboat cruise last Monday. She is a Masters swimmer, and this last weekend she hopped in the pool at the state championship meet.

She won medals in her events in the the 50 back, 50 breast and 50 and 500 free, qualifying her for next year’s summer National Senior Olympic Games, to be held in California next year. Because mom is just a little competitive, she wants to swim more races at the games – so she may hit the road to a few neighboring state championships and try to qualify for other events as well.

Mom is 74 and will be 75 at the games. Her rocking chair is gathering dust. Go, mom!

Kate started this – then Janiece continued it, and Vince has jumped on the bandwagon – so I thought I’d add to the volume of excellent complaining being done this week. These are the things that irk me right now:

At work:

1. Respond to email & voice mail. You want me to deliver business benefit for you, then you need to respond to emails and phone calls. Answering within 24 hours is not too much to ask of anyone. No one is too special to be exempt from this rule.

2. Show up at meetings. On time. We are all masters of our own calendar. If you accepted a meeting request then be there, by phone or in person, on time. I do not want to have to go round you up so we can start, it will not be pleasant for either of us.
3. Get stuff done. On time. If you miss your target date, let me know ASAP and give me a new time frame so I can replan. Don’t disappear and start ducking my phone calls and emails.
4. It is your job. Don’t ever tell a customer – or a colleague – that something’s not your job. Figure it out, own the responsibility for solving the problem, and ensure it gets done.
5. Reorganizing the business should not be a hobby. Try stamp collecting.

In my personal life:

1. Get off your $*%^&$ cell phone. You’ve heard me rant about this before. In the grocery store, in line at the fast food store, driving, on the ferry or bus, even in public restrooms — everyone is on their cell phone, talking loudly, whenever they feel like it. Have some awareness of your surroundings, demonstrate some courtesy for those around you and hang up your cell phone.

2. Learn how to drive or let someone else do it. Don’t drive ten miles an hour under the speed limit, during rush hour, weaving back and forth, while you talk on the cell phone, tend toddlers and look for your turn off. Either focus on driving and do it moderately well, or let someone else drive, because you’re a hazard to those around you.
3. If you are selling or soliciting something, and I say no, back off. This applies to petitioneers, phone solicitors, band candy hawkers, and streetcorner panhandlers. When I say no thank you, it means no. Don’t push, don’t assume you and your cause are too special for the common person’s refusal, and don’t get pissy. Just back off. I don’t feel the need to be polite because I don’t consider being solicited a polite activity.
4. Deliver my doggone mail. I didn’t ask to be issued a 3″ x 4″ x 12″ box – and if the junk mail and phone book and small package you’re trying to cram in there today don’t happen to fit, then deliver it to my front porch. Don’t take it back to the post office and leave me a slip asking me to pick it up. I have a job – I’m not available during your bankers’ hours – and it would be really great if you’d do your job, too.
5. Bring me my restaurant check. Why is it that at many restaurants, service seems to end with delivery of the meal? It seems like lately I can’t get my check delivered on any kind of prompt basis. We sit and stare at each other over dirty dishes sometimes for twenty minutes to a half hour while our server seems to have disappeared. Just bring me my check – it would not be rude if you did so with the meal.

My neighborhood power transformer just went “bang” and everything has shut down around me for blocks around. I was very confused at first until I realized that the reason I was still happily talking on a conference call, staring at a brightly lit computer monitor and surfing wireless Internet was because I have a very nice battery backup.

::does the superior dance::

It only lasts 90 minutes, though, and power outages in my neck of the woods tend to last quite a bit longer.

Hey – I have a generator! I’ve never used it before! And at the price of gas, I probably can’t afford to unless it’s actually an emergency.

Have a great evening. I’ll be offline.